Towel cabinet



March 22 1927.

A K, M. LEUTE TOWEL CABINET Filed July 14, 1923 2 SheetS-Sheecl KM z, /N

1,622,226 March 22 1927' K. M. LEUTE TOWEL CABINET Filed July 14, 1.925 2 Sheets-Sheec) Patented Mar. 22, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT*` OFFICE.

KARL M. LEUTE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO STEINER SALES COMPANY, OF

SALT LAKE CITY,.UTAH, A CORPORATION OF UTAH.

TOWEL CABINET.

Application led July 14,

lgravity member for retracting a soiled portion of towel, and when a clean 'portion of the towel is used or withdrawn the gravity, member is raised to an active positioI,-by storage of the soiled portion of the towel and withdrawal of the clean portion, so that the gravity member will be in position to retract another soiled portion of the'towel.. Storage of a soiled portion of the towel is accomplished in synchronism witli Withdrawal of a clean portion of the towel and the arrangement of the towel shifting mechanism is such that the gravity member may constitute means for measuring the length of toweling that may be used at one time, but does not prevent successive portions of the toweling being immediately used one after another'.

My towel shifting mechanism is applicable to various types of cabinets and permits of rollers of'clean and soiled towels being easily and quickly installed in and removed from a cabinet.

My invention will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed, and reference will now be hadto the drawing whereini Figure 1 is a perspective View of one form of cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view of 4 a portion of the cabinet;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a portion of the cabinet showing the towel shifting mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross sectional view of the cabinet showing the towel shifting mechanism in side elevation;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional vlew of the cabinet, and

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of a portion of the cabinet illustrating a shght modification of my invention.

1923. Serial No.651,451.

In the drawings, the reference numeral 1 denotes a 'stand or base having uprights 2 supporting, at a convenient height, a cabinet or enclosure 3 having a front hinged door 4, and in some instances the cabinet may be suitably fastened to awall or other support.

In the top and bottom of the cabinet are anchoring blocks 5 to which are secured side frames 6, said frames being disposed in proximity to the side walls of the cabinet. The frames are identical in construction and each frame has a slotted web or skeleton structure affording a multiplicity of slots or guideways, there being a horizontal slot 7 with a front open end 8 and a socket end 9; arcuated opposed slots 10 and 11 which are arcuated relative to a bearing 12; straight angularly disposed slot 13; an angle slot 14 having a'n open end 15, a socket 16 and a vertical portion 17, and in proximity to the vertical portion 17 of the slot 14 is a vertical slot 18.'

The bottom 19 of the cabinet-is providedv stantially U-shaped and angularly disposed frame 23.

Pivotally mounted at the outer sides of the bearings 12 is a compensating tension device comprlsing a set of angular cranks or levers 24 and journaled in the upper ends of said cranks are the pintles 25 of a feed roller 26, said roller having its pintles extending through the arcuated slots 10. The roller 26 has a rough periphery which may be formed bylplacing a cover of sand paper on said rol er. i

' The opposite'or lower ends of the cranks` the feed roller 26, and trained about the sprocket wheels 29 and 30 is an endless sprocket chain 31 which -permits of the shaft 27 and the feed roller 26 being driven in synchronism.

Loose on the ends of the shaft 27, at the outer sides of the frames 6 are hanger bars 32 and journaled in the lower ends of these bars and extending through the slots 18 are los V tion of .the strip of vISD the. pintles 33 of the lower feed roller 34, which is also roughened similar to the upper feed roller 26. The hanger bars 32 maintain the feed roller 34 in a defined position relative to the shaft 27 and on one of the pintles 33 of the feed roller 34 is a sprocket wheel 35 for an endless sprocket chain 36, said sprocket chain being trained over a s rocket wheel 37 on that end of the shaft 217 opposite the sprocketl wheel 29. The sprocket chains 31 and 36, with the associated wheels thereof, constitute power transmission means by which the upper and lower feed rollers may be driven in synchronism even while changing'positions relative to the frames 6.

In the inner or socket ends 9 of the slots 7 are the pintles 38 of a-soiled towel roll, 39 on which maybe wound, in a clockwise direction considerinr Fig. 2, the soiled portoweling .40', said roll bein driven by frictional contact with the roug 1 periphery of the upper feed roller 26.

Free to slide in the vertical portions 17 of the slots 14 are the pintles 41 of a gravity clean towel roll 42 on lwhich the clean toweling 40 is rolled and stored for future use. The toweling extends downwardly under a roller 43 rotatable between the bearings 22 and then the toweling extends upwardly and over the lower feed roller 34, said toweling being frictionally engaged by the outer convolution of toweling on the clean towel roll 42. Since the clean towel roll 42 is freely supported to descend by gravity iny the frames 6, the clean towel roll will constantly remain in engagement with the toweling extending over the lower feed roller 34, until the toweling is exhausted, and it is by such frictional engagement that the lower feed -roller 34 may rotate the towel roll 42 and cause thetoweling to be unwound.

Afterr passin over the lower feed roller 34 the towe ing extends downwardly through the opening 21, through the frame 23 and under the lower rail or rod 44 thereof and then upwardly through the opening 20 in the bottom 19 vof the cabinet. That portion of the toweling exposed belowthe cabinet is somewhat of loop formation, the front portion of the looped toweling being clean and the rear portion thereof soiled, as will hereinafter appear.

After entering the opening 20v the towel# guard 45.

ing encounters a guide shield or having its lower end fixed to the bottom 19 of the cabinet and its upper end suitably supported by the side walls of the cabinet, above the clean towel roll 42, with the shield curved to retain the toweling out of enga ement with the toweling on the roll 42.

rom the curved guide shield 45 the toweling extends over the roller 28 and then downwardl under a gravity member 46 whichhas lts ends loose in the slots 13, said toweling extending upwardly in front of -a guide rod 47 carried by the bearings 12. This guide rod may have its ends serving as pivots for the cranks 24.y The toweling after passing in front of the rod 47 is wound on the soiled towel roll 39,` as mentioned above. 'I

When a clean portion of the toweling is to be used, it isgrip d atthe frame 23 and pulled downwardxj7 until a Suilicient length of toweling is exposed for use. When pulling on the toweling the lower feed roller `34 is rotated andvirrespective of the diameter ofthe clean towel roll, said 4roll is revolved clockwise and toweling unwound therefrom. Simultaneous with this operation the upper feed roll 26 is driven and by virtue of its constant contact with the soiled towel roll 39, soiled toweling will be wound upon said roll. v

Withdrawing an unused portion of the toweling from the. cabinet also causes a previously used or soiled portion of the toweling tobe pulled downwardly out of the opening 20 and when this occurs the toweling on the roller 28 produces a tension of the lupper feed roller 26 against a toweling on the roll 39 and also causes the gravity member 46 to be elevated in the slots 13, but immediately upon a sufficient length of clean toweling being removed from the cabi-` net, the gravity member 46 descends and takes up the soiled portion of the toweling previously withdrawn while'another soiled portion of the toweling is being wound on the roll 39 because of its frictional contact `with the upper feed roller 26 driven from the lower feed roller 34. There is nothing whatsoever to prevent vthe user of a towel from continuously withdrawing clean toweling from the cabinet, and as fast as such toweling is withdrawn it Willbe taken into the cabinet on the roll 39 and prevented from drooping to any extent below the frame 23;

rllhe compensating device cooperates with the gravity member in affording a positive take-up mechanism for soiled portions of thc toweling, and to a certain extent constitutes means of measuring lengths of toweling to be used, although as pointed out in the beginning,there is nothing to prevent the user of a towel from continuing to withdraw clean toweling' from the cabinet, even though the gravity member 46 should be held at the upper ends of the slots 13, for then the toweling can feed under the vgravity member 46, over the rod 47, and be wound on the roll 39 as fast as the toweling iswithdrawn from the roll 42. Since the roll 42 is supported in contact with the toweling over the lower feed roller 34 and the upper feed'roller 26 yieldably held in contactwith thetoweling on the roll 39, there may be a gradual change in the diameters of the towel rolls, incident to winding and unwinding toweling thereon, without interfering with t-he operation of the mechanism.

The sockets 16 have been provided in the frames 6 to facilitate loading the cabinet. After all the toweling has been wound' on the soiled towel roll 39, said roll may be easily removed, also the bared roll 42. A

. loaded clean towel roll may have its pintles roll. After this has been accomplished the clean towel roll may be shifted from the sockets 16 so that the pintles of said 'roll are free to ride in the vertical portions 17 of the slots 14 with the periphery of the clean towel roll engaging the toweling on the lower feed roller 34. Closing the cabinet door 4 leaves the apparatus in condition for use. v

The gravity member maintains the toweling taut within the cabinet and in this respect constitutes a tension device maintaining a looped portion in the toweling,lwhich looped portion permits'of one portion of the toweling being retracted from the cabinet while another portion is being wound on the soiled towel roll. This is what takes place when the gravity member is raised by reason of one soiled towel portion being wound on thesoiled towel roll and another soiled towel portion withdrawn from the cabinet incident to pulling a clean towel p01'- tion from the cabinet. It is therefore apparent that the looped portion of the toweling and the tension means are important in order that the cabinet may serve its purpose. As a mechanical equivalent of the gravity member I may mention retractile springs, weights or the like. i I also desire to direct attention to the fact that the soiled towel roll is fixed relative to the cabinet and the cleantowel roll supported for adjustment inthe cabinet. The feeding means is constructively arranged s0' that the weight of the lower feed roller plus the weight of the clean towel roll maintains the upper feed roller in engagement with the soiled towel roll, thus establishing a driving relation therebetween. This action cooperating with that of lthe tension device insures even and uniform movement of the toweling in and out of the cabinet, avoiding wrinkles and unnecessary wear and tea-r on the toweling. K

Considering Fig. 6 and certain changes or improvements that may be made, the clean towel roll 42 is Vheld out of engagement with the feed roller 34 and toweling may be removed from the clean towel roll by simply pulling on the toweling. This is brought about by training the toweling underrthe roller 43. Such an arrangement obviates the necessity of roughening the feed roller 34 and consequently reduces wear and tear on the toweling. Again, guide rods 50 may be substituted for'v the shield or guard Furthermore, I may desire to limit the movement of the gravity membe-r 46 and have this member govern, to,a certain eXtent,-the shifting of soiled toweling. For this purpose screws or adjustable stop members 51 may protrude into the slots 13.

It.l is thought that the utility and opera-v tion of my towel cabinet will be apparent without further description, and while in the drawings there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be unfderstood that the structural elementsfare susceptible to such variations and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

lVhat I claim isz- 1. In a towel cabinet wherein clean and soiled towel, rolls are supported with a portion of toweling exposed and said rolls adapted to be rotated in'synchronism so that a clean portion of toweling may be withdrawn and a soiled portion of toweling drawn into the cabinet :--mea'ns for rotating said rolls in synchronism, said means comprising upper and lower feed rollers geared together with the lower feed roller normally engaged by the clean towel roll and the ripper feed roller normally engaging the soiled towel roll, and means supporting said feed rollers so that the weight of the lower feed roller andA its contacting clean towel roll maintains said upper feed roller in engagement with the soiled towel roll.

2. A towel cabinet as called for in claim 1, wherein the last mentioned means supports the gearing between said rollers.

3. In a towel cabinet wherein clean and i soiled towel rolls are supported with a portion of toweling depending from and exposed below the cabinet and adapted to be pulled upon to obtain a clean portion of towe1ing;-means set in action by removal of aclean portion of toweling from the clean towel roll to cause a soiled portion of toweling to be wound on the soiled towel roll,\an'd means engaging the soiled portion-of toweling to maintain it taut relative to said soiled towel roll, said means being yieldable so that a soiled portion of toweling may'7 y be retracted yfrom the cabinet to facilitate withdrawing a clean portion of toweling.

4. In a towel cabinet wherein clean and soiled towel rolls are supported with a por- `posed below the cabinet and adapted to be pulled upon to obtain a clean portion of towelingg-gravity means holding a soiled portion of the toweling so that a limited amount of the soiled portion of the toweling may be withdrawn wi-th a clean portion thereof, and means set-in action by removal of a clean portion of toweling from the clean towel roll` to cause a soiled portion of toeling to be woundon the soiled towel ro p 5. Atowel cabinet as called for in claim( 4, wherein said gravity means isy supported in a looped portion of said soiled toweling.

6. In a towel cabinet, means for playing out clean toweling therefrom and take-up means for simultaneously storing soiled toweling therein, a tension device operative on the toweling between the playing out and storing meansand normally maintained c in one position between the periods of use to keep the toweling taut, said tension device being movable' toa different position for allowing a soiled portion of the towelin to lbe withdrawn from the cabinet while a c ean to draw the soiled portion of the towel up 'into the cabinet.

8. In a towel cabinet, a rotatable soiled towel roll having a fixed position in said cabinet, a rotatable clean towel roll supported for adjustment in said cabinet and adapted to have toweling unwound therel from and wound on said soiled towel roll, a

lower feed roll supporting said clean towel tion to said clean towel roll, an upper feed roller bearing against said soiled towel roll to impart rotation thereto, driving means between said feed rollers, and means supporting said feed rollers and the driving means thereof so that the combined weight of said lower-feed roller and the clean towel roll will maintain said up er feed roller against said soiled towel rol 9. In a towel cabinet, a roll of clean towel having a section of its web exposed to be grasped and pulled by the user to a using position, a take-up roll whereon the soiled web is wound and means vwhereby delivery of the clean web will impart a synchronous movement to the take-up roll to wind the soiled towel thereon, and movable means in the cabinet normally allowing a section of soiled web to be dra-wn out of the cabinet Vwith the clean web to facilitate its use and for retracting the soi-led web after such use, a plurality of soiled web loo-ps being formed between said movable means and the take-up roll to' provide ample length of soiled web for conveniently using the clean web, the position of the clean and soiled webs being such that they cannot contact with one another during use of the clean web or retraction of the soiled one. l

10. In a towel cabinet wherein clean and 'soiled Itowel rolls are supported, a portion of the toweling bein exposed and forming `a loop adapted for o taining an additional clean portion of towel, means holdin a soiled' portion ofthe towel inside .the eablnet and adapted to increase the ormal distanceof towel travel from the exp xsed towel loop to the l straighten wrinkles or folds in the towel web, and means set in action by removal of a clean portion of toweling from the cleanv towel roll to cause the soiled portion of the towel to be wound on the soiled towel roll.

In testimony whereof I ailix my signature.

KARL M. LEUTE.

soiled -towel roll and therebyy 

